Who Am I

A tale from Attar of Nishapur

The lover knocked at the door of his Beloved.
‘Who knocks?’ said the Beloved from within.
‘It is I,’ said the lover.
‘Then go away. This house will not hold you and me.
The rejected lover went away into the desert.
There he meditated for months on end, pondering the words of the Beloved.
Finally he returned and knocked at the door again.
‘Who knocks?’
‘It is you.’
The door immediately opened.

Art for Contemplation

Feel free to peruse the paintings and images below. To enlarge, click on the image.

Music

Feel free to browse the music below to assist your contemplation.

The first piece is modern, though seemingly from the eternal past with its tonal effects. It is 15 minutes in length and begins very quietly with the violin. Be with it as you see, hear, and sense The Lark Ascending.

The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Performed here by the London Philharmonic Orchestra

The second piece of music is from the early 16th Century by Christobal de Morales. It combines an a
cappella group, the Hilliard Ensemble, with the soprano saxophone of Jan Garbarek using a chant as the basis for the 7-minute sacred motet. Be with it as you see, hear, and sense a psalm/prayer in your deepest place.

Parce Mihi Domine by Christobal de Morales
performed by Jan Garbarek with the Hilliard Ensemble

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Mid-Afternoon Break

After you have spent a while browsing and meditating on the above poetry, readings, art, images, and music–and followed the directions above–feel free to take a ten or fifteen-minute quiet break.

And then, when you are ready, continue with the afternoon guided meditation.

Final Teaching and Guided Meditation by Ann Kulp (Audio, 13 min)

Welcome to the final session of the day. When you are ready, click on the video for a final teaching time led by Ann Kulp. She will guide you into a time of reflection. Following that, there is a final poem to reflect on to close the day. Take as much time as you need with this material.

Let’s close the day with a final poem.

The Seed Cracked Open

A poem by Hafiz, translated by Daniel Ladinsky

It used to be
That when I would wake in the morning
I could with confidence say,
“What am ‘I’ going to
DO?”

That was before the seed
Cracked open.

Now Hafiz is certain:
There are two of us housed
in this body,
Doing the shopping together in the market and
Tickling each other
While fixing the evening’s food.
Now when I awake
All the internal instruments play the same music:

“God, what love-mischief can ‘We’ do
for the world
Today?

After you read, take some time for reflection:

What word or phrase surfaced for you?

Stay with that…. resisting the urge to “do something.” Just rest in whatever seems to connect with your life as it is now. Record what you would like to remember from this poem …. and this day.

Farewell Blessings

Farewell, friends. It has been lovely to carve out some space to listen, to notice, and to embrace the holiness present in each moment together.

Every blessing,
Ann Kulp

NOTE:
The material on these pages is available for your use through the remainder of the scheduled retreat time. You may go back and revisit any part throughout that time.

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